Question My 10yr old son wants a gaming computer for Christmas, and I'm lost!

[Justin512]

Hello,

My son has been asking for a gaming computer for a couple years now, but I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars on a computer for a 10 year old.

So the last couple of nights after he has gone to bed, I have sat up and researched how to build an entry level gaming PC. I've found everything is cheaper to build, rather than buy it. But, every video I watch and every website I go to they promise one price but when I go and price it, I'm right back at around a thousand dollars.

With 2020 being such a... "great" year, I would like to get him what he is asking for but I can't break the bank. I am just looking for something that we can build together, and will let him play his Minecraft and Fortnite. It doesn't have to have the best graphics, or the most memory. I just want to be able to upgrade it as time goes on. I understand that gaming PC's by nature are expensive, but I would like to stay around $500 or lower if possible.

I am not too worried about the peripherals, as he already has a monitor, and being a 10 yr old boy he will most likely destroy any keyboard and mouse I buy.
Sceptre 30-inch Curved Gaming Monitor 21:9 2560x1080 Ultra Wide Ultra Slim HDMI DisplayPort up to 200Hz Build-in Speakers, Metal Black (C305B-200UN)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TXM7K4T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can someone point me in the right direction?

Any and all advise will be much appreciated!

Justin

 

[nofanneeded]

I don't buy used drives either.
But...at 1/2 the overall budget, including a Windows OS....thinking about sporting up another $50 for a replacement SSD is not that big a deal.

so This whole thing is to save $100 ? why bother ? and you forgot that a 7 years old power supply is also at end life , not to mention possible Motherboard component failing.

so you will need SSD , new power supply , how much you saved ? $100 ??

Get a new machine , clean looking new case , NVME , Options , faster RAM , etc

and windows is not a big deal buy a $5 defect pc you will have the sticker on it lol

 

[USAFRet]

Calm down a bit.

The goal here is to buy/build a system:
$500
games (minecraft) and homework
10 year old user


A playstation is not it
NVMe drive not needed
Doesn't need a zillion cores/threads
Waiting until Spring 2021 is not an option.

Investigationg ALL the options is not a bad thing. A $250 older system is not the end of the world.
It is merely one of the many options.

 

[nofanneeded]

Calm down a bit.

The goal here is to buy/build a system:
$500
games (minecraft) and homework
10 year old user


A playstation is not it
NVMe drive not needed
Doesn't need a zillion cores/threads
Waiting until Spring 2021 is not an option.

Investigationg ALL the options is not a bad thing. A $250 older system is not the end of the world.
It is merely one of the many options.

Why are you repeating things I already moved on upon and I posted a PC for him after I got convinced that PS5 is not an option for him ?

I moved on PS5 , I moved on 6 and 8 cores , I moved on waiting for 2021..


I gave him 4 cores i3 within $500 as he asked and he can get it now.

oh and no one with experience gives an advice to buy 7 years old PC with possible Power supply dying , God knows how many years that SSD been used ... and possible motherboard components failing.

true NVME is not needed , but it is cheap today (59$ for 512GB) and new machine is better than 7 years old one.

 

[artk2219]

so This whole thing is to save $100 ? why bother ? and you forgot that a 7 years old power supply is also at end life , not to mention possible Motherboard component failing.

so you will need SSD , new power supply , how much you saved ? $100 ??

Get a new machine , clean looking new case , NVME , Options , faster RAM , etc

and windows is not a big deal buy a $5 defect pc you will have the sticker on it lol

Again, i get it, fine if you dont want a used powersupply you could replace it with a new 430w for like 5 to 10 dollars more, you could also just wait until the SSD craps out, if it craps out, to replace it, in the end its kind of a moot point honestly. You are correct in that its older used equipment, so the lifetime may or may not be limited, but its also just an option, and frankly id rather have 16gb of older ram vs the 8GB in the previous config you sent, and this would also get you a licensed copy of windows. But i digress, this isn't about either of us, its just about giving the OP options, and there are 10000 ways to skin that PC for a 10 yeard old cat.

 

[artk2219]

Why are you repeating things I already moved on upon and I posted a PC for him after I got convinced that PS5 is not an option for him ?

I moved on PS5 , I moved on 6 and 8 cores , I moved on waiting for 2021..


I gave him 4 cores i3 within $500 as he asked and he can get it now.

oh and no one with experience gives an advice to buy 7 years old PC with possible Power supply dying , God knows how many years that SSD been used ... and possible motherboard components failing.

true NVME is not needed , but it is cheap today (59$ for 512GB) and new machine is better than 7 years old one.

How long have you been building PC's? Because if its less than 22 years, please stop, ive also built about 30 in the past year alone. Sometimes people don't care if its new, dont care if it has all the features, dont care how things even look sometimes, many people just care about "will this play x game at x FPS or quality setting because thats what my kid wants to play", and "whats the best price you will take vs your listed price?". Also, always clean, test, and repaste any used components you may buy before putting them into a build, and stress test the crap out of anything you build, thats a 24 hour torture loop with the CPU and GPU at 100%, and then just let it sit doing updates and idling for 24 to 48 hours, before finally doing another short torture loop before you take the machine to be sold. Do you know how many machines ive had come back, or that have given me issues, after theyve been sold this year (btw everything comes with a 6 month warranty in which i will replace the components, machine, or give you your money back if needed)? None.

 

[Rookie_MIB]

I would agree with the suggestion on the Ryzen APU build for 450ish$. The big thing to remember is that yes, while it is 4c/8t only, and uses integrated graphics, it gives you a definite starting point and you can ADD to it if you need it. A single upgrade down the road to a good GPU makes it a much more potent gaming machine, and a bit down the road again an upgrade to a dedicated CPU (6c or 8c Ryzen) is a snap...

 

[Floef]

I never had any supervision either, so.. I mean, content wise I'm in a different boat. I was exposed to A LOT. Maybe it made me a bit jaded but I feel like I'm more grounded in reality because of it.

No supervision and freedom of my own PC as an 8th grader taught me more than any computer class!
To each their own though, I mean no offense 🆒

It needs to be noted that kids today are growing up with a very different internet environment than previous generations did...

And honestly, I don't think it's a better one.
They will definitely have different experiences than we did.

Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Justin512]

Wow. I didnt expect this to turn into such a controversial post lol

I really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to offer their advise, comments, and build recommendations. You all have given me A LOT to think about.

I like the idea of mixing some old with new to save some money and possibly get a better system at a lower price, but I honestly dont think I know enough about computers to know if I am getting ripped off or not.
I will more than likely buy all new.

I do have one more question, if you all would be so kind.

If I was able to scrape up some more money, what part should be the first thing I should replace on the build lists in these threads. I have pasted one here as an example.

From Flayed's post
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($140.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX500 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.94 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $485.67

 

[Justin512]

It needs to be noted that kids today are growing up with a very different internet environment than previous generations did...

And honestly, I don't think it's a better one.
They will definitely have different experiences than we did.

Just something to keep in mind.

That is very true! I never had to worry about "Internet Predators" when I was a kid.

 

[USAFRet]

If I was able to scrape up some more money, what part should be the first thing I should replace on the build lists in these threads. I have pasted one here as an example.

Add a dedicated GPU.

 

[Justin512]

Add a dedicated GPU.

Not looking to open a can of worms here, but what should I look for in the spec sheet or on the box that will let me know what GPU will be compatible with my setup?

 

[USAFRet]

Not looking to open a can of worms here, but what should I look for in the spec sheet or on the box that will let me know what GPU will be compatible with my setup?

Any semi recent system will be compatible with any semi recent GPU.

Budget for this?

Also, the specific power supply matters. Enough power, good quality, proper connectors.

 

[Floef]

It's not intended as controversy, just a few opinions that needn't clash.
I felt I would be remiss if I didn't point out the change in the landscape of the internet for kids.

Also just making sure you know that that setup is for a Micro PC, not the usual towers you may be familiar with when you think of a PC.

 

[artk2219]

Wow. I didnt expect this to turn into such a controversial post lol

I really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to offer their advise, comments, and build recommendations. You all have given me A LOT to think about.

I like the idea of mixing some old with new to save some money and possibly get a better system at a lower price, but I honestly dont think I know enough about computers to know if I am getting ripped off or not.
I will more than likely buy all new.

I do have one more question, if you all would be so kind.

If I was able to scrape up some more money, what part should be the first thing I should replace on the build lists in these threads. I have pasted one here as an example.

From Flayed's post
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($140.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX500 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.94 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $485.67

I would agree with USAFRet, a dedicated gpu would definitely help, I would also upgrade the RAM from 8gb to 16gb, 8gb is a bit borderline for now. Other than that, that build should last for several years. Also if you have a windows 7 or 8 key you can use that key to activate windows 10, alternatively I've bought a few copies from the link below and they've all worked in the past.

https://m.vip-scdkey.com/software/microsoft-pc-10-pro-oem_1227-20.html

 

[Justin512]

Any semi recent system will be compatible with any semi recent GPU.

Budget for this?

Also, the specific power supply matters. Enough power, good quality, proper connectors.

Budget is unknown as of now, I might be able to come up with an extra $200 - $250. I know that might change the game a little but as of right now its still an unknown.

 

[USAFRet]

A GTX 1650 would work well.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB TUF GAMING OC Video Card ($173.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $173.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-11-19 20:53 EST-0500

 

[artk2219]

Budget is unknown as of now, I might be able to come up with an extra $200 - $250. I know that might change the game a little but as of right now its still an unknown.

You could also just wait until the need arises honestly, depending on what he's going to play that integrated gpu may do just fine. It's also easy enough to add one later. So if you find out in a month or twelve that you need one, you could just throw it in at that point.

 

[Justin512]

You could also just wait until the need arises honestly, depending on what he's going to play that integrated gpu may do just fine.

Good point. He will just be playing Minecraft/Fortnite, which I cant imagine would be too labor intensive, but if I have the funds available and everything is already open and on the table... might as well.

 

[MorganPike]

For everyone recommending a PS5 for $500, where exactly do you buy one?

Buy something like this, having a warranty on the whole pc will be helpful if any problems arise. You won't get that with a do it yourself.

A solid little pre-built gamer for under a grand...

https://www.newegg.com/skytech-st-arch3-0-0054-ne-archangel/p/N82E16883289048

You're going to have a hard time finding an 'entry level gaming' pc for $500. Sorry. The good news is, we're at black friday sale time now. The above pc is on sale for $750 right now and took me all of 30 seconds to find.

You could consider buying a unit with integrated graphics for now and doing a power supply/dedicated graphics card upgrade later on. Leaving you with a little extra cash in your pocket right now for other Christmas shopping. This you could do for under $500.

You'd need to be careful with this however to make sure the mb and case allow for later upgrades.

Also keep in mind that, regardless of what some may say, integrated graphics do not offer an entry level gaming experience. You may be able to load and play some games a 10 year old may be interested in, but games with any graphical fidelity will not run well on any integrated graphics. This could turn into a major 'Christmas Day' disappointment for a 10 year old.

I took another look...

https://www.newegg.com/skytech-st-blaze-ii-2600-1650-8g3-500g/p/1VK-005B-000H6?Item=1VK-005B-000H6

Only $550 right now. In your price range maybe? Certainly an entry level gaming pc. Although I'd still prefer to see the child get the one I mentioned earlier, this is not a bad choice at all. Certainly for this price.

 

[neojack]

that monitor is high res. I built a PC last year for a nephew, from scrap parts. got him a Phenom II X6 and a rx480. he is still very happy with his computer.

i recommend the RX480. they are cheap used (like 100$) that the best perf/price ratio for a gpu able to run games confortably at his resolution
if you go for a dedicated GPU, swap the 3400g for a ryzen 3100
the numbers are deceiving, the G series are a generation late, the 3100 is actually way faster. about same price or cheaper

 

[King_V]

Wow. I didnt expect this to turn into such a controversial post lol

I really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to offer their advise, comments, and build recommendations. You all have given me A LOT to think about.

I like the idea of mixing some old with new to save some money and possibly get a better system at a lower price, but I honestly dont think I know enough about computers to know if I am getting ripped off or not.
I will more than likely buy all new.

I do have one more question, if you all would be so kind.

If I was able to scrape up some more money, what part should be the first thing I should replace on the build lists in these threads. I have pasted one here as an example.

From Flayed's post
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($140.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX500 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.94 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $485.67

I'd maybe be a little fussy and go for the MX500 rather than the BX500. Or a Samsung 860 EVO. I don't know if the DRAMless nature of the BX500 would ever be a noticeable issue with your son's usage, but I'm picky about that. They'll add $11-13 to the price, based on today's prices.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6yKcCJ/samsung-860-evo-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-mz-76e500bam

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ft8j4D/crucial-mx500-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd1

Prices fluctuate pretty frequently at this time of year, though.


I've already mentioned my somewhat hyper-cautious nature (then immediately refuted myself ) regarding the power supply.


I know I've seen some occasional listings for Windows 10 at $99.99. If you, a spouse, or other family member happens to work as faculty in a school district that has such an arrangement with Microsoft, the Windows 10 Education version license (it's actually akin to Windows 10 pro) can be had for $14.99. My ex-wife purchased the license for our son's new PC last Christmas. If such is available to you, that will free up another chunk of money toward hardware.


A video card would be the upgrade I'd make if more money comes into the budget - but, again, on sale vs not on sale makes a difference, and this changes every few days.

 

[Karadjgne]

At 10 years old, performance isn't a word, it's an expectation. That being said, he'll have very little to base judgement on other than pc vs Xbox for graphics and fluidity. So any pc introduced will have to at least equal the Xbox, or beat it, or the pc will go relatively unused.

Prebuilts are fine for beginners, but are not fully upgradable as such. You can't replace the motherboard as windows is locked to that, it's not a retail version. Bios is also limited to the cpus that are available for that series, so if the top model has an intel i5-10600k, you won't be putting a i9-10900k in there when he gets older.

My suggestion is an intel 10600k, a cheaper non overclock able motherboard, 16Gb of 2666-3200MHz ram and the best gpu you can get, with appropriate psu. Storage a 1Tb Crucial P1 and a 1-2Tb WD hdd. You setup windows install/download locations, AV and malwarebytes subscriptions for auto updates.

That's about as tinker proof as it gets, requiring minimal intrusion or 'fixing' and able to handle just about anything upto and including current games. You can get Watchdog type programs even free versions like Spybot: Search and Destroy that will whitelist almost all known 'bad' sites, preventing inadvertent visitation.

Just don't forget to get headphones with a mic, Discord is a must nowadays.

 

[nofanneeded]

How long have you been building PC's? Because if its less than 22 years, please stop

From the time of intel 486 DX2.

and I am out of this thread . people are playing the downvote game here so there is no point staying here.

@op : good luck on your choices . take my advice and avoid buying old PCs.

 

[MorganPike]

From the time of intel 486 DX2

Sweet. I remember the DX2 66 was my second upgrade. My first pc was a 286 given to me by an older brother. Awesome times.

 

[MorganPike]

Wow. I didnt expect this to turn into such a controversial post lol

I really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to offer their advise, comments, and build recommendations. You all have given me A LOT to think about.

I like the idea of mixing some old with new to save some money and possibly get a better system at a lower price, but I honestly dont think I know enough about computers to know if I am getting ripped off or not.
I will more than likely buy all new.

I do have one more question, if you all would be so kind.

If I was able to scrape up some more money, what part should be the first thing I should replace on the build lists in these threads. I have pasted one here as an example.

From Flayed's post
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($140.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX500 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.94 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $485.67

A dedicated graphics card. And switch the cpu to a Ryzen 5 2600, on sale for $150 last I checked. Check to see if you can get a better main board deal due to cpu change. And make sure the power supply is sufficient. The gpu will add an additional load.

My opinion of course.

How about this?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zCjgnL

Use Win 10 as is until you get around to buying a key later. $600 including a 1660 Super, 16GB and an M.2 drive. Nice system right there.

Edit: Ok, the case looked to good to be true and when I checked, it was! lol

So drop that system back to 8GB, a case that's true, and it's an easy upgrade to 16 later on if needed. Plan on buying a couple extra fans for the case as the first upgrade. Shortly after Christmas. But this keeps you at the $600 mark with a real gaming computer for Christmas.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Bsbxgt

1660 Super running at 2560x1080...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW3VuMpFvI8


And a bit of quick advise. Make use of pcpartpicker that some others and myself have linked to. Very useful. As I think someone else said, pricing is constantly fluctuating, sometimes on an hourly basis.

If I had just a little more money to spend I'd go with the a better power supply. Like the CX version listed by Flayed. The CX would give better headroom for future upgrades, but any significant upgrades would need a power supply replacement anyway. Hard to say exactly what the future will bring.